Painted Lady Echeveria (Echeveria Derenbergii) Indoor Care Guide

Echeveria derenbergii, commonly known as Painted Lady, is a succulent perennial, endemic to Mexico. It has been grown as a garden plant for many years because of its attractive flowers and leaves. This hardy plant can grow in both dry and moist climates and requires very little water or attention to thrive. It has a deceptively delicate appearance, but it’s surprisingly tough. With a little bit of care, it will last years and produce many beautiful flowers along the way.

Its fleshy, grey-green leaves are arranged in an attractive rosette, one on top of the other. Each individual leaf is triangular, tipped with a sharp point, often colored red or yellow. The tightly formed rosette is an identifying characteristic of the Echeveria genus, and it’s what makes them an attractive genus of houseplants. The thin frosted covering on the leaves and its refreshingly brilliant flowers separates the Painted Lady Echeveria from its cousins. Yellow flowers appear as racemes on top of long, pink stalks. The tips of the flowers are a beautiful deep red and look like they’re painted on the flower, earning the plant its name. Painted Ladies are popular plants for succulent gardens and can be used to add color and interest to any landscape.

Echeveria derenbergii Main Characteristics

Common Name	Painted Lady Echeveria, Blue Echeveria, Copper Rose, Maroon Chenille Plant, Painted Lady, Painted-Lady, Plush Plant, Wax Rosette
Botanical Name	Echeveria derenbergii
Family	Crassulaceae
Genus	Echeveria
Type	Succulent
Native Range	Mexico
USDA Hardiness Zones	9a to 11b
Mature Size	Height: up to 4 inches; Spread: 20 to 30 inches
Bloom Time	Year-round
Foliage	Evergreen
Propagation methods	by cuttings
Sun	Full sun to Part shade
Soil	Well-drained
Toxicity	Non-Toxic

Echeveria derenbergii Care

The Painted Lady is a very versatile plant, and there are many ways to use it in your home or garden. It’s perfect for those who want a low-maintenance plant that still looks beautiful. So if you’re looking for a way to add some color to your life, it’s a great choice!

Light and Location

The Painted Lady Echeveria will do best in a spot that gets plenty of sun. It needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day to stay healthy and produce flowers. It will still do well in light shade if you can’t provide that much sun, but the leaves may be a little less colorful.

Watering

As with most succulents, watering is half the care. Provide them with moderate to low amounts of water in the growing season. Most succulents have mechanisms to store water, so a little less water won’t affect them too much in the short term. Make sure the water drains quickly through the drainage holes (which are essential!) and doesn’t sit in the pot for long. The rosettes naturally trap the water so keep an eye out.

After a watering session, wait until the soil feels dry, then water again. You want to reduce the watering cadence even further in the winter months and only keep the soil barely moist.

Temperature

Echeveria derenbergii is a hardy succulent and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. It will do best in warmer climates, between 55 and 85 degrees, but can also survive in cooler areas as long as it doesn’t freeze. Its frost tolerance goes as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but don’t take that as a safe limit; the plant has to be completely dry at temperatures that low to survive.

Humidity

The Painted Lady does not do well in high humidity. If you live in a humid area, provide good air circulation around the plant and ensure it doesn’t stress from all that moisture. Avoid pairing them with humidity-hungry plants.

Fertilizer

Fertilize Painted Lady Echeveria during the growing season when you’re watering it regularly. A succulent or cactus fertilizer at half strength is the way to go. These are usually low in nitrogen which is exactly what an Echeveria needs.

Propagating Echeveria derenbergii

Echeveria derenbergii can be propagated by cuttings. Just take a leaf cutting from a healthy rosette and let it dry out for a few days before planting in the soil. It’s best to use a well-draining succulent mix soil and ensure the pot has drainage holes. Take cuttings in the spring or summer.

You can also propagate by offsets. These plants readily produce offsets that form their own rosettes neatly separated from the mother plants, making them quite easy to isolate. Separate offsets from the parent plant with a sharp knife and replant them in soil. Treat them as you would a mature plant, and they should develop fine. The best time to do it is in the spring.

Potting and Repotting Echeveria derenbergii

Painted Lady Echeveria does best in a well-draining succulent mix soil. You can buy premixed soils or make your own by combining potting soil with perlite, sand, or pumice. Avoid fertilizers and other additives when making your mix. When your Painted Lady is getting a little too big for its pot, it’s time to repot. Find a pot that is only one or two sizes bigger than the current one and make sure the drainage holes are still intact. Use a succulent soil mix, and don’t pack the soil down too much.

You’re dealing with a slow-growing succulent, so it will be a while before you have to repot again. However, if you see the plant start to get rootbound, then go ahead and repot. But it’s better to do it later rather than sooner, so make sure your plant needs it before committing to a new pot.

Common Pests

Pests and diseases are rare with succulents, but they can still happen. Mealybugs, vine weevils, and aphids are common pests that you can treat with insecticidal soap. You want to quickly take care of any infestations before they eat away at your plant for too long.

How To Care For: Painted Lady Echeveria (Echeveria Derenbergii) (Video)

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